The A Circuit by Catherine Hapka, Georgina Bloomberg
Series: The A Circuit #1
Published by Bloomsbury on May 24, 2011
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 250
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
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The A Circuit is the top of the top when it comes to horse shows. It's a world with its own rules and superprivileged lifestyles. Teens travel the circuit all year, showing horses that cost as much as some homes.

Tommi, Kate, and Zara are all elite competitors on the circuit, but they come from totally different backgrounds. Tommi is a billionaire heiress trying to prove she has real talent (not just deep bank accounts). Kate puts the working in working student-every win has been paid for with hours of cleaning stalls. She's used to the grueling schedule, but Fitz, the barn's resident hot guy, is about to become a major distraction. And then there's Zara. She's the wild child of a famous rockstar, but she's ready to take riding seriously. Can a party girl really change her ways?

Readers who enjoy peeking into the elite world of Gossip Girl or The A-List will feel right at home in this new series with its friendships, drama, and privilege set against the backdrop of competitive horseback riding.

The A Circuit has been described as a cross between Canterwood Crest and The A List.  I can definitely say that that’s a pretty good description of it and I can also say that I enjoyed it greatly.  It’s not going to become one of my all-time favorites but I think it’s a great book for horse lovers!

Kate, Tommi, and Zara have one thing in common:  their love of horses.  Kate is a poor student who happened to fall into the good graces of Jamie, the trainer at Pelham Lane Stables.  Tommi is the daughter of a billionaire who is looking for a way to make horses her career.  Zara is the daughter of a rock star who is just looking for the next party.  It doesn’t seem like anything could bring these girls together but the stable does and it also brings new challenges that each girl must face.

Kate and Tommi were very likable characters but Zara was not.  She was rude, spoiled, bratty, and just plain inconsiderate.  There was nothing about her that I liked through the whole book.  Hopefully she will grow up as the series goes on.  As for Kate, she was nice but she was naive and so obsessed with the barn and horses.  Tommi was smart, practical, and very cool.  She was my favorite of the three girls.

The plot was a bit slow.  Nothing seemed to happen for a while and even when it did, it wasn’t all that exciting.  I don’t know anything about horses or shows so everything was also a little confusing to me.  Not so bad that I couldn’t read it though.

Overall, The A Circuit is one I would recommend to people who actually know something about horses already.  It’s a really quick read and I think the series holds great appeal.

What others are saying about The A Circuit: 

Lauren’s Crammed Bookshelf’s review: “Full of horses, drama, and a dose of depth, The A Circuit is a great lazy day read.”

Harmony Book Reviews’ review: “The A Circuit is full of rich girl drama and not a whole lot of substance, while still pulling the reader in.”

Novel Reaction’s review: “It was interesting to see the dynamics that come with showing horses competitively while still in high school.”